Photo-electric translating device



H. 1. VAN DER am.

PHOTO-ELECTRIC TRANSLATINQ DEVl C-E.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-1,1916- 1369364. Patented Feb. 22,1921.

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HENDRIX JOHANE FQ 'Aki nan BIJL. OF NEW YORK. 'N. Y.. ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC contriegg inoonronarnn. on NEW YORK.

N. Y.. A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. 4

' Y'HOTU-ELECTRIC TRANSLATING DEVICE.

1,369,5'64. Specification of Letters Patent, Patented F91 22, 1921,

y Application filed November 7, 1916. Serial No. 130,091.

embodiment thereof comprises apparatusadapted for use-in rendering musical compositions.

Its object is to provide methods and means whereby all the notes and over-tones of a musical composition svnthctically prepared may be rendered as musical sounds of the required quality. intensity and pitch.

Its object is attained by allowing interrupted radiant energy. for example light. to fall upon a light sensitive substance. the frequency of the interruption being suclras to give the desired note. The variation of the electrical properties of this substance. due to the interrupted light incident upon it. furnishes a means for supplying a suitable eceiver with a fluctuating current.- the variations in which correspond to. and are controlled by the frequency of interruption. the intensity and quality of the interrupted light rays.

This invention depends upon the photoelectric properties of certain substances.

such as the change of resistance oi a substance when acted on by light or ()llltl radiant energy vaves.

The invention may be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1' shows one method by which the. aforesaid photoelectric properties of a substance may be used for the production of musical tones; Fig. 2 shows various musical passages upon a note sheet;

Rig. 3 shows another form that this invention may take. Like reference characters represent like parts.

The operation of the device illustrated Ill Fig. 1 may he described as follows:

1. 1. represents a hollow cylinder. capable of being: rotated at a constant speed and containing circles of perforations 4. Within the ylinder is a source of light The rays of light passing ihrpu h thcsc apertures fall uponthe note sheet 7 a definite number of times per second. and are reflected to the light sensitiv sul'istance 10. Tiving it alternate periods of light and darkness with a definite frequency. the particular light sensitive substance that is herein used for illustrating the invention although other suitable substances Whose resistance varies; under the influence of radiant light or other energy may be used. 5'

Since the resistance of the crystal changes under" the influence of light. the current through the crystal. due to the battery 11. will then undergo like variations. That is.

the current through the crystal will be pulsatory in character. and a suitable telephone receiver 17. placed directly in the circuit ol\the crystal or in a circuit inductivelv associated therewith will then emit or note of a pitch determined by tlie frequency' 5 of the illumih'ated periods. These fiuctna t ons in current may be. amplified before be 111;: impressed upon the receiver 17. Thevilin'ation frequencies of the notes emitted bvthe receiver will be proportional "to the 30 number of apertures in i ach circle of perforations in the cylinder from which thelight issues. providing the cylinder is rotated at a constant. speed: so that by having a difien ent number of apertures in each circle of 5 perforations. any desired note can be produced in the receiver. As shown in the diagram. the cylinder is rotated at constant speed by means of a motor 26-.

Now. it the note sheet'l'has a ing' power for incident light. the receiver 1.7 will give forth a complex. sound resulting I o trom the combination of the individual notes corresponding to each circle of perforations. circles of perforations are absorbed by the note sheet 7. the notes corresponding to those perforationswill not be heard in the receiver. In general. for the rendering of a musical composition. it will be found desirable to hear only a few of the notes at a given instant.

Consequently, in order to prevent the crystal from receiving light simultaneously from every circle of perforations. it is nec- I cssary to have the note shcetI part reflecting,

and part absorbing. so that light only from the cir le or circles of perforations opposite the reflecting, portion will be inculcnt upon the crystal This will afford A selenium crystal is 150 But it the rays from part of the 95 mpl ci a other manner well-known in the art.

selecting the pitch, duration and intensity of the note or notes that are desired in the receiver. Such a selecting means may be provided by having the note sheet I in the form of a strip of black paper with White marks thereon, the strip capable of being rolled in either direction, and each white mark being of the proper size and in the proper position in respect to the circle of perforations from which it is to receive interrupted light beams. In Fig. l,- the note sheet 7 should be of this character.

In order to limit the light from source 2, to small and properly positioned areas, and to increase the intensity on said areas, it is desirable to use the converging lenses 6,8 and 9 the cylindrical lens 6 "concentrating the light to a narrow transverse region extending across the strip,

of apertures in the plate 5. The material containing these apertures should have considerable thickness so that a beam or pencil of light emerging from each aperture has a definite direction and cannot interfere with light from other apertures. The reflector 3 is a further means for increasing the in-- tensity of thelight from source 2.

If it is necessary to amplify the fluctuations of the current flowing through the crystal before impressing them upon the receiver, it may be done by such an electric system as is shown in connection with the. crystal. 12 is a transformer for impressing the fluctuations in the current of battery 11 on the input circuit 13 of the amplifier-l4, which may be of the well-known audion type. The oscillations in the output circuit 15 of, the amplifier are impressed on the circuit containing the receiver 17 by means of the transformer 16. If further amplifica tion is needed, it may be obtained by connecting a plurality of amplifiers, such as shown, in parallel or in tandem or many Thus, in order to render a certain desired musical sound, we cause a white mark on note sheet 7 to be placed opposite the circle of perforations giving the frequency desired, and the interrupted beam from the perfm'ations striking the selenium causes the receiver to give forth the note, the intensity and duration of which depends upon the width and length of the white mark on note sheet 7. In order to get a succession of musical sounds, the note sheet 7 may be d. say from left to right on the drawr toward the end 7, there being marks u.- paper of the right size, shape. and on to give any particular note or notcs particular time or for any length The sheet 7 does not need necessarily to have light marks on a dark background. In order -to function properly, the sheet 7 needs only to have certain portions of itself capable of reflecting light to which the light sensitive substance responds, theother portions either absorbing or transmitting the light incident upon them or reflecting only that part of the incident light to which the light sensitive substance will not respond. The sheet used in connection with the apparatus in Fig. 1 should have portions giving substantially total reflection on a light absorbing or transmitting background.

Fig. 2 shows a portion 2!) of a sheet, which illustrates the different markings that may be used to produce various musical effects. However, before such a sheet could be used in connection with the system of Fig. l, the markings would have to be changed to reflecting portions on a dark background, just the opposite to that illustrated; otl.e 'wise the form and relative positions of the markings would be identical inboth cases for the production of the desired musical passages. The marks represented by 18 would give a staccato scale; 19, a legato scale; 20, a legato scale played one half as fast as scale; 22 a ritardando scale of the same inendo note; 24 duration; 25 a a diminuendo note of short note of alternately increas- \ing or diminishing intensity; 30 two notes ing cylinder, and the interrupted light on the crystal being received by transmission through apcrtufls in the sheet 28 instead of by reflection. "lhcdisk has circles-of perforations similar to thosc-in the cylinder. The operation of the same as previously described for Fig. 1. An .additional cylindrical lens 6' is used for concentrating the rays of light on the disk. This invention permits complete control of any number of simultaneous tones and their relative intensities and duratian, with means for successively. producing them in any order and at any desired time intervals necessary to render-a musical composition. l urthermorc, each and every note may be combined with any desired number of its harmonics in any relatiye intensity desired and the relative intensities of the various harmonics may be regulated at will.

It is well known that by properly relating the internal impedance of a thermionic am- 19; 21 a slow crescendo the system is essentially ,tensity throughout; 23 a drawn-outdiminuwill be properly controlled through the note.

sheet. Otherwise, undesirable harmonics or multiple frequencies of the overtones would be heard in the receiver 17. However, it may be desirable as, for example, in imitation' Ofiill'l instrument which naturally pos sesses a series of overtones, to produce only fundamental tones by means of the note sheet, and so adjust the tube 14 that it will properties are affected thereby. .Vhile particular apparatus has becn deact as.a harmonic generator and thereby generate'a desired series of overtones.

It is to be understood that the term light as used in this specification is not to be interpreted as limited to ether waves of a length-to which the human eye is sensitive, as it is well known that selenium and other substances of a similar nature are sensitive to radiant energy over a wide range of wave lengths. Hence, the invention naturally includes within its scope the use of any suitable form of radiant energy upon any suitable element whose conducting scribed for carrying out the purposes of the invention, it should be understood than other modified forms of appa ratus notspc citically mentioned herein will fall within.

the scope of invention, which is generic to the synthesis of music containing any de-' sired combinations of tones and harmonics thereof in any desired intensity by means and methods hereinafter claimed What is claimed is:

l. The combination with a device adapted to emit one group otlight beams varying in intensity with a given frequency and selected harmonics thereof and another group of beams of another frequency and selected harmonics thereof, of means for translating said light waves into sound waves of corresponding frequencies, and means for determining which of said groups of beams shall be supplied to said first means.

2. The combination with a device adapted to emit radiant energy varying in intensity according to a plurality of constant frequencies. of a means for translating said radiant energy into sound. and a second means for selecting and automatically supplying to said first mentioned means in predetermined order radiant energy having diii'erent intensity variation frequencies.

3. The combination with a device adapted to emit light beams of a pluralitv of interruption frequencies. of mcans for the t1...' slation of light waves into musical weaves B sounds, said means including a light sensitive element. and of a second means for selecting, in a predetermined order, light beams of different interruption frequencies and means for causin said selected light beams to fall upon said sensitive element.

4. A device adapted to render musical compositions comprising, a plurality of sources of interrupted light beams of frequencies corresponding to the notes to be rendered,a light sensitive means and a source of current therefor, a note sheet for variably absorbing light waves for causing the light beams of the desired frequencies to strike said means with the proper intensity and so duration, and means for transforming into "musical sounds the resulting changes in the current through the light sensitive'means.

5. A musical instrumentcomprising, a

source of light, means for deriving therefrom a lurality of interrupted light beams of di ercnt frequencies, a selenium cell and a source of current therefor, a note sheet having portions of different light absorbing properties for causing certain selected ones of the interrupted light beams and not others thercofto fall upon said selenium cell at any instantof time, a receiver, and means for causing current changesdn said selenium 6. A device adapted to producepnusical sounds from a synthetically prepared record comprising. means for producing a-plurality tluencies corresponding to the notes to be rendered, a selenium cell and a source of current therefor, a member synthetically prepared in accordance with the music to be ,cell to produce corresponding changes in 'current through the said receiver.

\of interrupted radiant energy beams of-.fre-

rendered, said member constituting a means .for. selecting'the frequency and controlling the duration and intensity of the radiant. energy beams incident upon said selenium cell, andinea'ns for transforming the resultant changesin current into musical sounds.

7. In combination, means for producing a plurality of radiant energy beams having different interruption-frequencies, a notesheet, means for passing said sheet across the path. of said beams, said sheet having a r15 longitudinal region thereon corresponding to each of said beams, an element sensitive to radiant energy, certain portions only of certain of said regions having characteristics which cause transmission of the ener 1 of'120 the particular beam corresponding to said region to said element. said portions having characteristics which enable the intensity of application of said bram to said element to be instantaneously or gradually varied.

8. Means for the rendition of music, said means comprising the combination of a rotating cylinder containing perforations, a source of radiant energy within said cylindcr, an electrical system containing an element sensitive to radiant energy, a receiver and a sourceof current, a note sheet, and means for passing it before said cylinder, of which sheet only certain-portions are capable of reflecting, saidradiant energy, the said radiant energy beams from saidcylinder beinp' reflected by means of the reflecting portions of said moving sheet to said sensitive element, thereby causing flue-tum tions in the current through said element, the electric oscillations arising therefrom being impressed on said receiver.

9. Means for producing a musical composition including means for producing a series of pencils of radiant energy, each said pencil having a constant frequency of interruption, there being a frequency correspond in; to the vibration-frequency of each tone and orertone in the composition to be produced, means to translate interrupted radiant energy pencils into sound waves of corresponding frequency and intensity, and means for successively producing from said pencils other pencils and combinations of pencils of such relative intensity as are nec essary to produce the successive tones and combinations of tones in such relative intensity as are desired in the musical composition, and means for transmitting said second mentioned pencils to said translating means.

10. The method of producing sound waves 'which comprises producing a beam of ether waves, interrupting said beam at a uniform rate and separately modifying the cross sectional area of said beam at intervals and transforming into sound waves the energy of the beam thus produced. I

11. The method of producing sound waves which comprises producing, a beam of ether waves, interrupting: said beam at a uniform rate and separately modifying the cross sectional area of said beam at intervals, transforming into fluctuating electric current the energy of the beam thus produced and transforming the energy of the electric current into sound waves.

12. The method of producing musical sounds which includes producing; aplurality of interrupted light beams of different constant frequencies of interruption, selecting and varying them in intensity and duration, and in translating said interrupted light. beams into musical sounds.

13. A method of producing, a musical com position which consists in producing a series of beams of radiant energy, each said beam having a constant frequency of interruption, there being a frequency of interruption corresponding-Jo the frequency of every tone and overtone of the composition to be produced, successively selecting said beams and combinations thereof whose frequencies are necessary to the production of successive tones and combinations of tones of the composition to be produced, and translating said beams and combinations thereof into correspendingtones and combinations thereof.

14. A combination of'devices for use in producingmusic including an elementwhose impedance to electrical current changes with a frequency corresponding to the frequency of interrupted. radiant energy impinging thereupon, means for successively causing interrupted radiant energy of different frequencies and combinations of frequencies to impinge upon said element, an electric circuit in which said elementis located, and a thcrmionicainplifier soassociated with said circuit as to amplify current changes therein.

-;15. In combination, a source of radiant energy, a space discharge device having an input circuit fradiant energy sensitiye means operatively related to said oinput circuit, an element between said source and said sensitite means for variablycontrolling the radiant energy from said source, and sound producing means controlled by said device. 16. In combinatioma source of radiant en ergy, a space discl'iarge device, a radiant energy sensitive means for controlling the discharge current of said device, a moving record uponwhich said radiantenergy impinges for variably controlling the quantity of radiant energy falling upon said sensitivemeans from said source, and sound producing means controlled by said device. In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 6th day of November, A. D. 1916.

nrsoair Jonamus van in; Bin. 

